BYD Shark Pickup Truck Heads to the UK With Electric and Gas Power

Chinese car company BYD is bringing its brand-new Shark pickup truck to the United Kingdom. The Shark is BYD's first-ever pickup, and it runs on both electricity and gasoline. Prices start at £47,290, and the company plans to deliver the first trucks before the end of this year.

The Shark is a plug-in hybrid vehicle, which means it can run on electric power, gas power, or both at the same time. It has a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, two electric motors, and a 32.2kWh battery pack working together. That combination produces 430 horsepower and can push the truck from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 5.7 seconds. For a truck that weighs over 2,700 kilograms and stretches more than five meters long, that is seriously fast.

On a full battery, the Shark can travel up to 55.9 miles using only electric power. When you add a full tank of gas, the total range climbs to around 419 miles. The official fuel economy is listed at 80.7 miles per gallon, though that drops to about 29.4 mpg once the battery runs out. That mix of electric and gas range gives drivers plenty of flexibility for both short city trips and long road journeys.

Charging the battery is quicker than many plug-in hybrids on the market. Using an 11kW home charger, the battery goes from 15 to 100 percent in just over three hours. A faster 55kW rapid charger can top it up from 30 to 80 percent in only 21 minutes. That makes it much more convenient for drivers who need to recharge and get back on the road quickly.

BYD built the Shark to handle rough terrain as well as city streets. The truck comes with all-wheel drive as standard, plus special driving modes for sand, mud, snow, and gravel. It can also tow up to 2,500 kilograms and carry a load of up to 790 kilograms in its 1,200-litre cargo bed. BYD calls its off-road system DMO, which stands for Dual Mode Off-road, and it lets the truck switch between different ways of using its engine and motors depending on conditions.

Inside, the Shark feels more like a luxury car than a work truck. The cabin includes a large 15.6-inch touchscreen in the center, a digital display for the driver, and a head-up display that projects information onto the windscreen. Passengers in the back seat get a flat floor and plenty of legroom, and the rear seatbacks can recline for extra comfort. The truck also comes with heated and ventilated front seats, a 12-speaker sound system, and a 360-degree camera.

One of the most useful features is something BYD calls Vehicle-to-Load, or V2L. This lets drivers plug tools, appliances, or other devices directly into the truck's battery, with up to 6.6 kilowatts of power available. That means someone on a job site could power an electric drill, or a camper could run a coffee machine or power washer straight from the truck. BYD says this feature makes the Shark just as useful for work and outdoor adventures as it is for everyday driving.

BYD's Executive Vice President Stella Li said the company is excited to bring this technology to the pickup truck market. She said the Shark offers electric driving, strong power, great off-road ability, and long-distance range all in one vehicle. The company believes more and more buyers in Europe want plug-in hybrid pickups, and that the Shark meets that demand without asking drivers to give up comfort or efficiency. Orders are already open, and the Shark is available in one fully loaded trim level.